Start with what the Packard Mayfair is: a 2-door hardtop / 2-door convertible with 327 cuin 4-bbl. L-head I8, from Packard. What it meant takes a little longer.
The story
The name Mayfair was applied to the 1951–1953 Packard 250 as a hardtop coupe nameplate built by the Packard Motor Corporation in an attempt to compete in this body style with the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Lincoln Capri and Chrysler New Yorker Newport hardtop coupes. It was named for the City of Westminster's luxurious district Mayfair in London, England. The coupe body style was also used for a convertible, while the Mayfair model name was exclusive to the hardtop.
When the Packard body style was updated for 1951, the door handle was concealed and aligned with the chrome beltline that surrounded the side windows, bottom of the windshield and rear window. The Mayfair came standard-equipped with a three speed manual transmission, while Packard's Ultramatic automatic transmission, four-way power seat, leather upholstery, power steering, power assist "Easamatic" drum brakes, heater and windshield defroster, chrome cormorant hood ornament, and power windows were available as extra cost options. The Convertible came standard with leather upholstery and a power operated top, and had a retail price of $3,939 ($48,760 in 2025 dollars ) while the hardtop was offered at $3,234 ($40,114 in 2025 dollars ) The Mayfair was succeeded in 1954 by the Pacific, which achieved Senior status with the inclusion of the larger 359 cu in (5.9 L) 4-bbl. L-head Straight-eight engine and full "senior trim" of the Packard Patrician, while the Convertible continued as the Model 5479 Convertible and the all-new Packard Caribbean.
What is underneath
The engine is 327 cuin 4-bbl. L-head I8. On the scales it comes to 3820 lb. Drive goes through a 2-speed Ultramatic automatic / 3-speed manual w/overdrive. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 122 in. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
In the Packard line-up the Packard Mayfair has a clear place: it handed the line to the Packard Pacific; the factory was Packard Automotive Plant, Detroit, Michigan, United States. Nearby in the Packard catalogue sit the Packard 160 and the Packard 180.